Raajje News Blog

#Maldives: The current political struggle in the Maldives has been grossly oversimplified and wrongly reported by some foreign powers and foreign media as a military coup that put back in power the government of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. An unbiased look at the facts of the popular non-violent struggle that led to the transfer of power on February 7th shows that it was neither a coup, nor was it an illegal ouster of a "democratic" leader. Rather, it reveals the triumph of the Maldivian people over an increasingly dictatorial leader, Mohamed Nasheed, a man who had repeatedly violated the Constitution. Fortunately for the citizens of this highly vulnerable country, their struggle has been recognized by the world powers that continue to keep a close eye on the Maldives, namely India and the United States. Nasheed's sudden claim of a military coup, over 24 hours after his public resignation telecast on all local television stations, has been blamed on his close...

#Maldives: Over a week after the brutal murder of MP and moderate Muslim scholar Dr. Afraasheem Ali, authorities have yet to reveal details of the murder and subsequent arrests. Police confirmed three days ago that a fifth arrest had been made in relation to the murder. Social media report that all five are activists from former President Mohamed Nasheed's party Maldivian Democratic Party. Dr. Afraasheem was a public target of Nasheed and his Maldivian Democratic Party, which went so far as to call him "Dr. Ibilis" (translation, "Dr. Devil). The MDP's hate speech against Dr. Afraasheem was part of their campaign against the country's Judiciary and the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). The murder victim, at one time the JSC's Vice-President, was accused by Nasheed and his party as a "traitor" who violated the Constitution and appointed a "corrupt" Judiciary consisting of "his friends". The campaign against Dr. Afraasheem ...

#Maldives: The three judges presiding over ex-President Nasheed's trial have been arbitrarily summoned to appear before a Parliamentary Committee just 15 minutes before trial is scheduled to begin. The Parliamentary Subcommittee has a majority of MPs belonging to Nasheed' party Maldivian Democratic Party, and is led by MDP MP Ali Waheed (MP for Thoddoo Constituency). Nasheed is facing criminal charges for ordering the military arrest and detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdullah Mohamed. The case was brought against him, together with four others, by the country's independent Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizzu. The PG's case is built upon an investigation by Maldives Human Rights Commission, another independent body appointed by the Parliament. The Parliamentary Committee's summons has been transmitted to the three judges by Speaker Abdulla Shahid. The Supreme Court and the Judicial Services Commission, an independent body entrusted with judicial admi...

#Maldives: The police arrest of ex-President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday sparked greater international coverage than the military arrest at the crux of the criminal case against Nasheed: Nasheed's arrest of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed. In contrast, in Maldivian social media, the military arrest of Judge Abdulla on Nasheed's order as Commander-in-Chief drew greater condemnation than yesterday's arrest of Nasheed. Although Nasheed's party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), repeatedly called for nation-wide protests yesterday, there was lacklustre response on th streets even in the MDP strongholds of Male' and Addu City. Despite concerted efforts by the MDP leadership and MPs from MDP on MDP aligned media station Raajje TV and on Twitter and Facebook, the support was lukewarm with most supporters making do with just a "LIKE" but stopping short of condemnation. The sharp contrast in yesterday's MDP response and that on February 8t...

#Maldives: The Supreme Court and the Judicial Services Commission have called upon the Parliament to stop interference in the judiciary and to respect the separation of powers as guaranteed under the constitution. The call was made in response to the decision by the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Government to summon before it the three Majistrates on the bench to hear the criminal case against former President Mohamed Nasheed. The summons to the Majistrates was for 3.45 on 9th October, just 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time for the first hearing in Nasheed's criminal trial. The Parliamentary Subcommittee has a majority of MPs belonging to Nasheed's party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and is headed by MDP MP Ali Waheed. Nasheed was arrested earlier today upon a court warrant issued due to Nasheed's violation of two court orders in the case. In separate press statements both the Supreme Court and the Judicial Services Commission provide legal and constitutional gr...

#Maldives: The police arrest of former President Mohamed Nasheed this morning shocked the populace of this tiny nation, as it did those interested parties outside the country. The news spread through local and international media like wildfire. Nasheed was arrested this morning by Maldives Police Service while he was campaigning in the southern island of Fares-Maathoda. MPS say the arrest was in response to a court order, ordering MPS to produce Nasheed before court tomorrow to face criminal charges lodged by the country's independent Prosecutor General, for Nasheed's actions in the arrest and detention of the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court in January 2012. Nasheed's party, Maldivian Democratic Party, has called for nation-wide protests against the arrest. Nasheed and his supporters, local and international, allege that the case is "politically motivated" in an attempt to prevent him contesting the presidential elections in 2013. The courts have three cases a...